COVID stress is so prevalent right now.  Our bodies are tensed for impact.  Our discussions are stinted.  Our focus is intense.  Our decision making is impaired by stress.

I have been watching the people around me trying to make decisions under stress for the past few weeks.  Heightened stress can be a factor in our decision making capacity.  In a few weeks I’m sure we will get to the point where we are trying to manage the trauma and stress of life or death decisions that we have never had to make before in our careers in the medical profession.  There have always been enough supplies.  Staffing may have been tight at times, but it has always been manageable.

At this point we are setting up systems to manage the impending influx of patients. Field hospitals, COVID wards, separate facilities for nonCOVID patients, drive through pharmacies, outdoor triage.  Innovative solutions for a rapidly evolving crisis situation.

Gratitude for This Moment

The demographic where I work is mostly 60 to 90 year old patients.  We are going to be hit hard by this, and so much is riding on the decisions we make now.  We need to breathe and meditate, now more than ever.  These kinds of situations are when keeping that practice is the hardest thing to do.  But it is essential for optimizing our decision making processes at this crucial time.

The rest of our city seems to be holding its breath as well.  On my bike ride yesterday, I felt like I was riding around town at 4 in the morning on a Sunday instead of the actual 4 in the afternoon on a Saturday.  The city was almost completely asleep.  There were very few cars out.  There were no people in the streets.  I took pictures from the bridge over HWY 49.

Highway 49

There were no cars on the freeway.  Massage therapists, hair stylists, restaurant servers, and so many others don’t know how they are going to make money to survive during this time.  And while there is going to be aid available, there is uncertainty when it will be available, or if the people who need it will be able to navigate that territory when it is available.

As hard as it is to take time to meditate and breathe, this is the time when we need to do it the most.  Intentional breathing will help with our decision making under COVID stress.  Daily meditation will help us to keep our perspective and stay on task.

Breathe…

Right now…

Really deep…

In…

And out…

Also, make sure you are meditating at least 10 minutes a day.

We all need your attention and presence now, more than ever.  We can do this.  But we need to breathe.